"FoodRecalls" news and stories

By Pervaiz Shallwani
We're big proponents of buying local when possible and just spied some curious data about 5,500 iPhone users buying a $3 Locavore app (created by a Slashfood friend) in a mere month. It tells iPhone addicts what's in season, what's en route and where nearby farmers' markets are located.

Whoa. We wondered what other yummy things we could do if we got with the times and finally embraced an iPhone for our foodie needs. Boy, were we shocked. There are hundreds of free and paid downloads including one for beer, one for soda and a fast-food meal calorie counter.

Not only are food nerd darlings Serious Eats, Food Network and Yelp at our fingertips, so is the FDA with food recall news (though their freebie Twitter also works), a guide to finding cheap or free kids' meals at nearby eateries and Twecipe, which matches the dregs of those fridge contents to a recipe.

All this edible ammo available at the touch of a button makes us wonder whether Googling our munching needs is becoming just so 2008 and whether we should cave to the iFeed – er, iPhone -- trend. Have you?

Ever learn about a food recall half an hour too late? There's nothing worse than finding out that there's been an e. Coli outbreak in the tomato crop right after finishing a nice, big plate of tomatoes and basil or discovering that the pistachio crop is tainted while in the midst of devouring a giant bag of the tasty little morsels.

Thanks to FoodRecalls, a new Twitter site, the latest food alerts can be delivered to your computer or cell phone in the blink of an eye. From the recent pull of Lian How brand spices to Sconza Candy Company's recall of its trail mix, you won't have to wait for the five o'clock news to tell you what you needed to know at noon!

The FDA itself has a Twitter page. However, while their recalls often come a half hour to an hour faster than Food Recall's, they do not seem to be as comprehensive as the private site. Furthermore, they aren't accompanied by Food Recall's endearing image of Winston, the "kitten with a paw over its eyes."

While we're on the topic, which recall do you reckon Winston is related to?

With so many food recalls recently, wouldn't it be nice to have that information sent to you rather than just happening across it?

If you're a reader of food blogs, you probably don't have to look too hard for information on the latest out break of food borne illness. The Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) has got something better for you. You can sign up to receive email alerts for any new Class I food recall, which is one where food has been determined to be the cause of human illness and is therefore unfit for consumption. According to MDA, there was a 56% rise in Class I recalls from 2006 to 2007 that affected Michigan consumers.

You can sign up for the email alerts here. I'm pretty sure the alerts will be geared toward Michigan's citizens, but there doesn't seem to be any restrictions on the sign-up page. Something like this could definitely be worth it. Do you think this should be offered nationally?